Tianjin Port, CNOOC in talks for LNG terminal
Spurred by its growing domestic demand for electricity parallel to its increasing population and rapid urbanization, imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by China will climb 30 per cent to a record high next year. REUTERS

The operator of northern China's Tianjin Port was in talks with China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal at its port, the China Daily reported on Friday.

The project will include an LNG dock and receiving station that can handle 3 million tonnes of LNG imported from the Middle East (per year), Tianjin Port Chairman Yu Rumin told the English-language newspaper in an interview.

All major energy projects in China have to obtain a series of approvals from the central government before they can be built.

CNOOC, parent of Hong Kong-listed CNOOC Ltd, is China's leading LNG terminal developer.

Tianjin Port is the country's third-biggest port by cargo throughput, China Daily reported.

Yu also said that Tianjin Port was in talks with several large domestic companies with an overseas presence to build up or operate ports overseas, the newspaper reported, without giving details.